This quinoa and lentil salad with mint is bright, flavorful and easy to make. It's full of plant-based protein and all gets tossed in a zesty lemon vinaigrette. You only need 30 minutes and a few simple ingredients to make this delicious salad.
Quinoa lentil salad is popular throughout the year as it is great for meal prep! The fluffy quinoa and hearty lentils take on the bright lemony flavor of the dressing, making it irresistibly delicious!
Lentil salads are so versatile and pack a ton of flavor into every bite! If you're a salad lover like me, you'll enjoy my Mediterranean lentil salad, arugula lentil salad and warm cauliflower lentil salad. Make sure to check out my guide on how to cook lentils if you have any questions.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This plant-based salad is perfect for lunch. Pair it with rosemary potato wedges for a full meal.
- Quinoa lentil salad is great for meal prep and will hold up well in the fridge all week long!
- The fresh mint add SO much flavor and pairs beautifully with the zesty lemon vinaigrette.
Ingredients Notes
- Quinoa - this gluten-free whole grain is a good source of plant-based protein. Use regular or tri-colored quinoa.
- Lentils - you can use French green lentils (also known as Puy lentils), brown lentils or black lentils for this recipe.
- Cucumber - use Persian cucumbers (they look like mini cucumbers). They add a refreshing crunch to every bite!
- Red Onion - adds a beautiful pop of color and a zingy bite to the salad.
- Feta cheese - adds a creamy, salty flavor to the dish and balances out the zingy onion.
- Fresh mint - pairs beautifully with the rest of the flavors and add freshness to the dish.
- Lemon Vinaigrette - you'll need the zest and juice and 2 lemons, garlic, dijon mustard, maple syrup and olive oil. This dressing ties together all of the flavors.
Substitutions & Variations
- Grains - feel free to swap in other grains such as brown rice, pilaf, farro or tabouleh in place of the quinoa.
- Greens - add in a handful of spinach or kale and allow it to slightly wilt as it gets mixed in to the warm quinoa.
- Vegan - leave out the feta cheese or try using vegan feta.
- Tomatoes - add in 1 cup of sliced cherry tomatoes, or try adding ½ cup of sun-dried tomatoes for extra sweetness.
- Dressing - try using nutritional yeast dressing or maple balsamic for flavor variations.
Step by Step Instructions
Add the lentils, water, salt, bayleaf and garlic to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and simmer for 25 minutes until lentils are tender. Drain any excess water.
Add the quinoa and water or veggie broth to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed.
Mix together the lemon zest, lemon juice dijon, garlic, maple syrup and olive oil.
Add the lentils, quinoa, diced cucumber, onion, feta, mint and lemon dressing to a large bowl. Mix together and enjoy!
Hint: cook the quinoa in vegetable broth for additional flavor!
Storage
Store lentil quinoa salad in an airtight Tupperware in the fridge for up to 5 days. After 2 days I recommend serving the salad with a fresh squeeze of lemon in order to help brighten the flavors back up.
I do not recommend freezing this salad.
Top tip
Use 2 cans of lentils (drained and rinsed) in place of 1 cup of dried lentils in order to cut down on cooking time.
Frequently Asked Questions
I do not recommend cooking the quinoa and lentils together since they have separate cooking times. If you don't want to use 2 separate pans to cook the quinoa and lentils I would recommend either using canned lentils (2-15 oz cans) or cooking the lentils a day in advance.
Use a microplane grater to zest a lemon by running the peel/skin of a whole lemon over the grater until it comes off. The yellow zest contains a ton of bright, lemon flavor and will enhance the dressing. Make sure to avoid grating the white part under the peel, as that part is more bitter.
Quinoa and Lentil Salad with Mint
Ingredients
For the Lentils
- 1 cup French green lentils
- 1 bayleaf (optional)
- 1 clove garlic (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups water
For the Quinoa
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1 cup water (or vegetable broth)
Salad Ingredients
- 4 Persian cucumbers diced
- ½ cup red onion diced
- ½ cup feta cheese
- ⅓ cup fresh mint leaves roughly chopped
For the Zesty Lemon Dressing
- 2 lemons zested and juiced use medium sized lemons
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard (start with 1 teaspoon and add more if desired)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of lentils, 3 cups of water, the bayleaf and a clove of garlic to a saucepan.
- Bring the lentils to a boil, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 25 minutes until lentils are tender. Drain any excess liquid. Set aside.
- Add 1 cup of water and ½ cup of quinoa to a saucepan while the lentils are cooking. Bring the quinoa to a boil, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- Make the lemon dressing. Mix together the zest and juice of 2 lemons, minced garlic, dijon mustard, maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon salt, olive oil and pepper.
- Add the cooked lentils, cooked quinoa, cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, mint and lemon dressing to a large mixing bowl. Mix together until combined.
Notes
- You can use 2 (15 oz) cans of lentils in place of dry lentils to reduce overall cooking time.
- Feel free to add in extra veggies such as tomatoes, olives, or snap peas!
- Omit the cheese to make this vegan, or try using vegan feta.
Mary says
Wow. The flavors were great and it was quick and easy to make. Definitely a keeper.
Emily Toshiko says
So happy to hear you enjoyed it! I love the fresh flavors in this salad.
Mary says
Quinoa Sometimes bothers me so I’m subbing farro. I can’t wait to try it
Emily Toshiko says
That sounds like a great substitution. I hope you enjoy it!
Cathy says
I absolutely loved this dish! It’s delicious and refreshing. The dressing and fresh mint really make it extra tasty. The fact that it is healthy is icing on the cake!
Emily Toshiko says
Thanks for leaving a comment! I'm glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Cathy says
I can't wait to try this dish!!
Emily Toshiko says
I hope you enjoy it!
Em says
Yum! I brought this to work for lunch all last week!